- Making Happy Meals happier - McDonald's
In order to promote nutrition and shed the bad boy image that it has carried for so long in the food industry, McDonald's has created a comprehensive plan to help customers make "nutrition minded choices". The Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices plan aims to help customers make better food choices whether they eat at McDonald's or elsewhere. The popular restaurant chain will add more nutrition balanced choices to their menu and provide nutritional information about their items so that customers can make better choices. Will it be enough to turn things around?
What's new?
Since First Lady Michelle Obama announced that one of her platforms would be children's health in 2009, childhood obesity has been a focal point for political campaigns, pediatricians and child advocates. The Let's Move Campaign, which includes not only encouraging exercise but also eating healthy and making better choices, is Mrs. Obama's initiative to fight childhood obesity. It is estimated that between 16 and 33 percent of US children are obese (not just overweight). McDonald's has decided to join in the fight by making some sound changes to the way they prepare food and the way they share information about their menu items. Some changes that customers can expect to see are:
- offering a new Happy Meal which automatically includes apple slices, a smaller portion of french fries, and milk (including fat-free) as one of the beverage choices
- reducing the fat, added sugars, calories and portion sizes in Happy Meals
- making nutrition information more accessible via in-restaurant, website, or mobile devices
- reducing the sodium in the chicken menu items (Chicken McNuggets)
"McDonald's agrees with the leading food and nutrition experts that making incremental lifestyle modifications may lead to improvements in an individual's well-being," says Cindy Goody, PhD, MBA, RD, McDonald's Senior Director of Nutrition.
The Experts Weigh In
McDonald's has been the mortal enemy of many nutritionists for years. Experts agree that the menu items offer little to no nutritional value and that continuous consumption of these meals has led to the obesity problem in the US. Most experts would recommend eliminating fast food altogether but there are some who still allow for it sparingly. Kait Fortunato, a nutritionist with Rebecca Bitzer and Associates in Greenbelt, Maryland says McDonald's is making a good effort with these changes. "I am pleased to see such an influential corporation in the food industry striving to make changes to better the younger population. I especially appreciate McDonald's efforts to make their nutrition information more accessible so customers are aware. Despite these changes, I still believe that fast food should be an occasional fun food and not an everyday occurrence."
No matter what changes that are made to the menu, moderation is the key. Swearing off fast food and going cold turkey will often times create feelings of deprivation and lead to binge eating. As Ms. Fortunato said fast food is an "occasional" treat and should not be made into a permanent part of a family's eating schedule. Choose wisely.
For more information about the changes that are occurring at McDonald's, click here.
Candace Y.A. Montague - Candace Y.A. Montague is a lover of the arts; especially writing. She has been a "writer in training" for over 10 years and has ...
